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Akanda
Akanda is the capital world of the Izeran Empire and the homeworld of the theran species. Climate & Geographical Features Akanda's land is divided into three continents which are, in turn, surrounded by two large oceans. Most of Akanda's land is covered in thick tropical rainforests, which are quite hot and humid year-round. The only places that experience freezing temperatures during the planet's orbital apogee are the northernmost and southernmost points, the magnetic poles, and even these only have snow and ice for a few months per year. For the rest of the year, these places are temperate forests. The planet's equator, meanwhile, is marked by a thin strip of desert that spans a large portion of the planet's width. With the rise and fall of the various theran and human-colonist civilizations that occurred throughout history, numerous large cities emerged. As the planet's political and social conditions changed and gradually improved, both theran and native human populations grew substantially. As a result of this, the planet's largely-hospitable conditions and rapid advances in previous civilizations' technology, by the time Izera was founded almost 20% of the planet was covered by cities. Notable Fauna *'Katha' are large, predatory reptomammals and distant evolutionary relatives of therans. Katha are primarily quadrupedal, but can stand on their hind legs for short periods of time. They are bulky, muscular creatures of considerable size, with adult females weighing, on average 350lbs and adult males averaging 400lbs. Most are roughly 1.6 meters at the shoulder and up to 3 metres tall on their hind legs. Katha have snouts filled with sharp teeth, dexterous tails that resemble more muscular versions of theran tails, and retractable claws on their feet. They have fur that is usually a dark shade of grey, frequently accompanied by black stripes. Katha are nocturnal, and are pack hunters. They have exhibited considerable intelligence in regards to both tactics and maintaining a complex social hierarchy, though their imposing physical stature has overshadowed their potential intelligence in the eyes of most people. Visiting terrans often describe katha as "a terrifying mix of bears, wolves and tigers." Katha packs have occasionally been known to wander into the ground-levels of cities, but are usually too wary to go too far past the outer limits. *'Rokai' are a species of flying, predatory reptile. Built like birds of prey, rokai are fast and powerful hunters, able to locate prey with a mix of echolocation and keen eyesight. Covered in leathery skin, rokai have thin membranes stretched over special bones serving as their two wings, which can often reach 1.8 meters in length. Rokai spend a great deal of time passively gliding through the air in order to conserve energy, but are fully capable of roosting on the sides of tall trees (or, occasionally, buildings). A typical, unhurried rokai flies at roughly 50kph but can reach speeds of up to 200kph when hunting. Rokai are solitary hunters but will stay with their chosen mate until their eggs hatch, with some couples staying together for up to three months afterwards. Although they are only occasionally seen in cities, and only at certain altitudes, many rokai will at least try to nest in rafters and the like, since cityscapes tend to have less potential predators going after their eggs. There are numerous urban myths about rokai scooping up theran children and eating them, though these are thought to be updated and corrupted versions of ancient stories, as there has never been a recorded case of a rokai preying on any children. *'Hziss' are omnivorous amphibians, primarily feeding on plant life but not at all opposed to devouring corpses or hunting smaller, weaker creatures. Hziss are powerful creatures covered in thick, green, armour-like hides. They have wide muzzles, broad bodies and long tails with a ridge of spines travelling down most the creature's back. Most specimens of both sexes routinely grown up to 5.5 metres long and weigh roughly 2000lbs. Although they have a reputation for being foul-tempered and lethargic, hziss can snap their jaws at very high speeds, swim at 30kph and run at 20kph, though only in short bursts. Their tempers, meanwhile, are factually confirmed to be quite foul. Despite all this, hziss rarely leave the lakes they live in, and so rarely come into contact with people. *'Hotha' are herbivorous mammals that resemble bats or flying squirrels. They are small, furry creatures that rarely grow to more than 25cm long and usually weigh about 110 grams. Hotha are capable of short bursts of powered flight, reaching roughly 50kph, but prefer to glide and are capable of doing so over long distances. They reproduce and reach maturity very, very quickly and travel in large swarms of approximately 100 - 175 individuals. They are considered pests by most Izerans and are one of the rokai's primary sources of food, but are still sometmes kept as pets. *'Gitza' are small, winged amphibians that are said to resemble frogs or toads. Specimens of both sexes usually grow to around 5–9 cm in lengths and have lean, clear wings on their back that grow to around 10-12 cm in length. Gitza are usually a shade of green or brown, depending on the subspecies and the location of the particular specimen, but all gitza have dark stripes. They are a strictly insectivorous species, and are found all over Akanda in slow-moving or stagnant waters. Although most gitza never fly more than 10ft off the ground, they are occasionally known to get caught in updrafts, sometimes ending up on the balconies of Izeran residents. Seeing a stray gitza on one's property is considered a test of one's faith, and it is often suggested that managing to get the creature safely back to a suitable near-by water source will garner Goddess' blessing, though this is not endorsed by the Ecclesia. There is a small population of gitza in the Royal Gardens of Deidirus Palace. Civilization Owing to Izerans' preference to build cities upwards rather than outwards, Akanda's bastions of civilization are densely populated but rather narrow compared to the cities of other nations. Even so, almost 25% of the planet's total solid surface area is, as of 3555, occupied by cities, most of which contain skyscrapers that extend up to the stratosphere. The largest, most prominent cities on the planet are are Szera City and Lanayru: *'Szera City' is said to be the birth-place of both Nijar Szera and Mila Arak, as well as the place where the revolution that led to the Szera Autocracy began. It contains Deidirus Palace, the home of the Royal Szera Family, the Sienae Grand Temple, the first temple built by and for Arakists and where Mila herself is said to have preached and wrote treatises about her unification of Arakism, as well as numerous other historical landmarks, museums and art galleries. *'Lanayru' is the largest, most densely populated city on planet Akanda and is home to most of Izera's successful anime and interactive-entertainment studios, as well as the Longaway Theatre District, which contains some of the most famous and high-level theatres in the known galaxy, and the Eklar Tower, one of the tallest free-standing structures in the known galaxy. International Cultural Ties *Akanda is joined with Zaphnath as a "sister world," promoting cultural and economic activity between the two capital worlds. Every Galactic Standard year, Akanda celebrates the birthday of the Verandi monarch, with a statutory holiday dedicated to the continued good will between Verandi and Izera. In 3300, a section of the Royal Gardens of the Deidirus Palace was dedicated to notable Verandi flowers, with the Crystal Glass Tulip being prominently featured, as a symbol of friendship between the worlds. Category:Izera Category:Planets Category:Izeran Planets